Friday, April 29, 2011

The Music Hall Presents 20th Annual Kitchen Tour



PORTSMOUTH—
What could be better than spending a spring day on the Seacoast with friends and family, peeking into extraordinary kitchens and enjoying all that Portsmouth has to offer? The kitchens we all dream of - sleek and contemporary, cozy and traditional, packed with innovation and imagination – will become a reality for one day as The Music Hall presents its popular Annual Kitchen Tour. Now in its 20th year, this benefit for the Hall will feature kitchens and dining spaces in its hometown of historic Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The tour will be held Saturday, May 7, 2011 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“This year’s tour, themed City Living, will be filled with creative and well-crafted kitchen designs, extraordinary views and 20th Anniversary surprises!” says Meghan Durkee, Corporate and Special Events Manager at The Music Hall. “It’s our biggest fundraiser of the year. Each year, the tour attracts over 1,200 visitors, who come out to support The Music Hall and to gain inspiration for their own kitchens. Proceeds from the tour are used immediately toward operating costs to support The Music Hall, an American Treasure for the Arts. We owe so much of our success to our incredible hosts, loyal sponsors, over 100 volunteers, our creative and hardworking committee, and our visitors - many of whom have made this a tradition each spring. Of course a warm, sunny spring day also helps!”
“Each year the tour is held in a different location, and we look for different kinds of kitchens and layouts to showcase. Some kitchens have the ‘wow’ factor; others offer clever ideas to use in your own home. It’s a great way for people to have a full, fun day for a low ticket price,” adds Durkee, who serves on the Kitchen Tour committee with Seacoast residents and co-chairs Ann Kendall and Betsy Cole.
Kitchen Tour fan Janet Stevens, who has been on the tour twice, said, “The Kitchen Tour is a grand day - an opportunity to ‘case study’ because you can go into all of these new kitchens and see the different styles. It’s inspiring and uplifting.”
It’s best to buy your tickets early, as there is a discount on all tickets purchased before the day of the Tour. Purchase tickets at The Music Hall Box Office at the Historic Theater at 28 Chestnut Street in Portsmouth or online at www.themusichall.org.
Tour-goers are given an easy-to-follow map, and a guidebook with detailed descriptions of the kitchens as well as information on all of the artisans, designers, and architects responsible for layout and design. The map will also be available on The Music Hall’s website the week before the tour. Maps may be mailed out to you once they become available.
Not only will patrons view and experience beautifully designed Seacoast kitchens, they will find a variety of restaurants featured on the map, all of which are fabulous places to grab a bite to eat for lunch. Get a bite to go and picnic or take a short break from the Tour and sit for a while. 


We highly recommend parking in downtown parking lots and the Hanover Street garage and walking around downtown with friends. With guidebook and map in hand, you’ll venture into these lovely Seacoast homes, and tour-goers can start and finish the tour anywhere they like.
For visitors looking to turn their own dreams into reality, the artisans, designers and architects involved in the kitchens are noted in the tour’s guidebook along with detailed descriptions of the kitchens. Many of the artisans will also be available to speak with during the tour. In addition this year, Dovetailed Kitchens will be giving lectures from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 126 Daniel Street on countertop materials, renovating kitchens and kitchen design.
The 2011 dedicated Kitchen Tour Committee, chaired by Ann Kendall and Betsy Cole, and including Meghan Durkee, Dodi Guyton, Cori McGrath, Kirsten Mahoney, Philip Marcus, Julia Madden, Kathy Megna, Janice Page, Amy Pender and Peter Squires invite you to enjoy this great day out, all in support of The Music Hall.
Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by phone at (603) 436-2400, online at www.themusichall.org and The Music Hall Box Office at 28 Chestnut Street in Portsmouth.
Photo caption: The Music Hall will present its 20th Annual Kitchen Tour in Portsmouth on May 7. (Photo by Greg West)